But, on second thought, I got to thinking that I might want to experiment with this flour and see what the differences might be.

So, I placed another order for the unbleached/unbromated flour and will go ahead and keep the first bag (hey, I'm only paying $11 for a 25# bag ).

I distinctly remember seeing bags of bromated flour at one of my favorite pizzerias up in Connecticut. I know that bromate is supposed to be a bad thing, but why do so many restaurants use bromated flour? I've never seen bromated flour in the grocery store, so maybe bromate adds that magic touch to pizza crust?

Flour Treatment and AdditivesFlour can be enhanced a number of ways, as discussed here.

CHEMICAL OXIDANTS OR FLOUR IMPROVERS. To perform prop­erly in baking, flour must first undergo oxidation—a process that changes its protein structure for better baking results. Without proper oxidation the bread or pizza crust turns out under-risen and with a coarse texture and overly large cell structure.

Originally oxidation was accomplished by storing flour under controlled conditions for 8 to 10 weeks, and turning it several times to expose the entire stock to air—a process known as aging. It was cumbersome and costly, and also increased the chance of insect infestation. So millers developed ways to circumvent the aging process through chemical treatment, sometimes called chemi­cal aging. Although the methods are different, natural and chemical aging produce the same result: Oxidation of the flour’s protein.

The group of chemical additives used for oxidizing flour is known as flour improvers, and sometimes also called maturing agents. Traditionally the main flour improver has been potassium bromate. Flour that contains it is referred to as “bromated flour.” However some states have begun viewing potassium bromate as a potentially harmful chemical and, so, have required that it be labeled as such on food products. As a result, millers and bakers have started replacing potas­sium bromate with alternate flour improvers, most notably ascorbic acid—commonly known as vitamin C. Functionally speak­ing the main difference between potassium bromate and ascorbic acid is that potassium bromate is a slow-acting oxidzer whereas ascorbic acid is very fast acting. In the end they produce similar results on the dough.

Other flour improvers include potassium iodate, cal­cium bromate, calcium iodate, calcium peroxide, and azodicarbonamide (ADA, for short). Although they all oxidize flour protein, they vary in the speed at which they do it and also in the dough stage at which it occurs. For example, with potassium bromate and calcium bromate the oxidation occurs during the initial phase of baking, or in the oven. But with the others, including ascorbic acid, it occurs earlier during the mixing and fermentation stages. Oftentimes two or more improvers are blended together and added to flour in combination.

Steve, in western Europe the bromates have been banned, as well as the other additives. The only additive allowed is Ascorbic Acid. I read that bromated flour performs a bit better than others.

While bromates have been categorized as a carcinogen, this is somewhat disputed because during the baking process the bromates are converted and some state that the resulting compounds are less a risk. Others state that the studies with that outcome were financed by the industrie.

The question is though if some states and countries have banned them, what is the real story behind that.

And then again, how many of us have been consuming bromated flour, more than we even know, our whole lives.

To perform properly in baking, flour must first undergo oxidation—a process that changes its protein structure for better baking results. Without proper oxidation the bread or pizza crust turns out under-risen and with a coarse texture and overly large cell structure.

Great info, I never would have guessed that, especially since I've been told oxidation is responsible for spoilage as well.

I was wondering . . .

I think I've seen powdered ascorbic acid sold in health food stores (I know I've seen it in pills). To get both the quality of unbleached flour and oxidation, I wonder if it would work to simply mix the two. If so, can anybody suggest proportions and how long the flour needs to become oxidized by ascorbic acid?

"Bake French bread like French professionals do -- with just a touch of Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) added to promote yeast growth. A tiny pinch added to your favorite baguette or boule recipe is all you need; yeast will work faster and longer. In 2-ounce bag."

Fleischmann bread machine yeast in a jar has it already mixed in. I use often.